I haven't turned on my amps in months....

[dewey decibel]

They just sit there, staring at me. Mocking me. I kind of want to smash them.

 

[guitarjazz]

They just sit there, staring at me. Mocking me. I kind of want to smash them.

I think I’ve had one on for two (distanced, masked) gigs.
All acoustic all the time. As far as practicing that’s all I’ve done 98.7% of the time anyway, for the last 35 years.

 

[tweedphan]

Played through my Carol Ann 67-18C today for the first time since the beginning of March. Wonderful !! And what a treat after so long.

 

[JonR]

They just sit there, staring at me. Mocking me. I kind of want to smash them.

Go on then!

But first, why not plug them in, turn them up to max, and annoy the hell out of your neighbours for several hours.
And THEN smash them. In the middle of the street. The neighbours will help you. Could be a heartwarming bonding exercise. Just don't get too close to that old guy who's coughing...

 

[JonR]

I think I’ve had one on for two (distanced, masked) gigs.
All acoustic all the time. As far as practicing that’s all I’ve done 98.7% of the time anyway, for the last 35 years.

For me, it's more like 35% of the time for the last 98.7 years... or does it just feel like that...
Hey it all adds up to the same thing!

 

[sunkidd]

You could always invite Pete Townshend over to play 'em!

 

[ifallalot]

Mine's sitting boxed up in it's shipping box in climate controlled storage while we're waiting for our house to be done

I need an iRig or something.

 

[derekd]

My 5E3 needs to be retubed and serviced so I've been practicing with my old JP JazzKat.

I also have a Ceriatone Overtone Special I haven't played in years I keep thinking I need to sell since I don't use it. I sure love that amp though.

 

[JonR]

You could always invite Pete Townshend over to play 'em!

Great demo of how to play the altered scale. Extremely altered....

I watched this in 1965, I was 15. Eat your hearts out, kidz....

 

[Tone_Terrific]

I watched this in 1965, I was 15. Eat your hearts out, kidz....

Pretty ferocious for pop/rock in 1965.

 

[Buduranus2]

I've found the best way to turn on my amps is a nice bouquet, dinner at a fancy restaurant, a bottle of chilled champagne and a candlelit bubble bath. Works every time.

 

[GovernorSilver]

I practice most of the time with my little QES Retrofier Roadtripper MCM. Love that little thing. It's single channel so by default it's clean. The pedals I use the most on the pedalboard are the tuner and the Zoia, as it can run a couple of basic looper patches that I found useful for practice.

I also have a low-end Breedlove nylon string that I love to practice on unplugged, even though it's much quieter than classical guitars.

 

[jackson]

I haven't opened my pedalboard case since 3/3, last gig.

 

[guitarnerdswe]

I powered up my Axe Fx yesterday, probably months since I last did that. I play a lot everyday, but it's all acoustic.

 

[dewey decibel]

Just realized I've lied; I have plugged into my Mustang III (modeling amp) recently. But only through headphones, and it's just not the same...

I think I’ve had one on for two (distanced, masked) gigs.
All acoustic all the time. As far as practicing that’s all I’ve done 98.7% of the time anyway, for the last 35 years.

Me too, and my playing has definitely suffered for it. We forget the amp can be a big part of the instrument, and different technique things show more when we crank it up. But that's apartment life for you, I guess...

Mine's sitting boxed up in it's shipping box in climate controlled storage while we're waiting for our house to be done

Yeah, but just think about how you'll be able to crank it once that gets done!

I've found the best way to turn on my amps is a nice bouquet, dinner at a fancy restaurant, a bottle of chilled champagne and a candlelit bubble bath. Works every time.

No, that's how you date an amp. To turn them on you just flip a switch, maybe whisper some sweet nothings if you feel so inclined, but that's it! That's why we play them (and they don't play us)...

I haven't opened my pedalboard case since 3/3, last gig.

Oh man, my last couple gigs were jazz gigs with just guitar & amp. And over the last couple years even when I used pedals I just threw a couple in my gigbag with a One Spot. I don't even remember what my pedalboard looks like!

 

[dewey decibel]

I just opened up my pedalboard case, all that's on there is a tuner and two true bypass loop boxes. Oh, and a power supply LOL. But it did remind of my original intent for this thread; I've had all this stuff that just sits here FOR YEARS. I mean, I have a Pedaltrain with both the hardcase and gigbag, and I have a wooden one I made to the same dimensions. None of it has been used in years. I've got a roadcase that fits a Twin Reverb, it's now a glorified end table. I just looked, last time I used it was November 2011. That's almost 9 years ago! I have 5 wah pedals. FIVE. Why am I hanging onto this stuff? I'm never going on tour again. Even without a global pandemic. It's just not going to happen. The effects pedals I can kind of justify, but the amps I can't even use because I live in an apartment? They just take up space. It's sad, really...

 

[frijoleghost]

both my amps are being shipped right now, but i haven't plugged in since probably march or february

 

[guitarjazz]

I just opened up my pedalboard case, all that's on there is a tuner and two true bypass loop boxes. Oh, and a power supply LOL. But it did remind of my original intent for this thread; I've had all this stuff that just sits here FOR YEARS. I mean, I have a Pedaltrain with both the hardcase and gigbag, and I have a wooden one I made to the same dimensions. None of it has been used in years. I've got a roadcase that fits a Twin Reverb, it's now a glorified end table. I just looked, last time I used it was November 2011. That's almost 9 years ago! I have 5 wah pedals. FIVE. Why am I hanging onto this stuff? I'm never going on tour again. Even without a global pandemic. It's just not going to happen. The effects pedals I can kind of justify, but the amps I can't even use because I live in an apartment? They just take up space. It's sad, really...

Several years ago I took the road case for my Twin to Sam Ash and said ‘here ya go, thanks’. End table works though too!

 

[JonR]

Pretty ferocious for pop/rock in 1965.

Yes. That was the sound of "rock" being invented - out of a mix of blues and soul, with a healthy dose of maximum amplification. "Rock" didn't exist back then, as a term for a musical genre. There was "rock'n'roll", but that was outdated 1950s stuff. The Who were considered a "pop group" or a "beat group", while they called themselves "maximum R&B". As I've said before, even Cream were called a "pop group" as late as 1968. That's how new the genre was back then - and being invented largely by British groups, it has to be said (Stones, Who, Yardbirds, Cream, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd). Hendrix the honorary American (with a British rhythm section).
Of course, it was all American music they were playing. And although Jim Marshall boosted his amps on consultation with the likes of Townshend, Clapton and Page (who all wanted much louder), the amps' design was based on a Fender model.
Everything - all the ingredients - came from the US. But it took the bizarre imagination (and cultural hunger) of the Brits to mix up the recipe.

 

[muzishun]

The tendency to become a huge bore as we age must be fought furiously.

Does anyone remember laughter?